Bradley Co. Man Charged 2nd Time with TennCare Fraud

Monday, April 20, 2015 | 08:16am

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A Bradley County man is charged a second time with TennCare fraud involving doctor shopping for prescription drugs.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the arrest of 48-year old Richard L. Brockman, of Cleveland. He’s been indicted by a McMinn County Grand Jury on three counts of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance by doctor shopping, which involves visiting multiple doctors in a short period of time to obtain prescription drugs, using TennCare as payment. He is also charged with three counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.

In December of last year, Brockman was charged in Bradley County with seven counts of doctor shopping and seven counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Those charges are still being adjudicated.

“We’re very grateful for the assistance we receive from local police as well as pharmacies and providers who all want to bring an end to the abuse of TennCare, especially in the area of prescription drugs,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said. “We’ll keep pursuing people who commit these crimes as many times as it takes until they understand we’re not tolerating this type of abuse of the TennCare program.”

TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years per charge in prison. District Attorney General Stephen Crump will be prosecuting this case.

The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to over $3 million being repaid to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of over $163.6 million for TennCare, according to latest figures. To date, 2,331 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.

Through the OIG Cash for Tips Program established by the Legislature, Tennesseans can get cash rewards for TennCare fraud tips that lead to convictions. Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tn.gov/tnoig/ and follow the prompts that read "Report TennCare Fraud."